Loose leaf binder



g- 15, 1933- LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS 1,923,022

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l tchings,

g- 1933- LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS 1,923,022

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g-- 15, 33- LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS 1,923,022

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 July. 29

mw Mm gmmm Le Roi E. Hutchings,

' tioned advantages by means of Patented Aug. 15, 1933 V resents LOOSE LEAF nnunm Le Roi E. Hutchings, Tonawanda, N. Y., assign0r to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

Application .t'uly 539, 1930.

5 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders particularly constructed and adapted for use in connection with. ledger sheets for machine posting of records.

The invention comprehends the provision of a binder which may be automaticall; operated by self-contained mechanism to bind or elease a series of account cards or ledger sheets used ior machine posting purposes in which the bi]. lcr

my be readily supportedin a suitable rack or stand, and used in cooperation with this rack or stand holding the ledger sheets or cards ing the posting operation.

Elie invention further includes the provision oi a structure by which the ledger sheets rr be readily handled in the binder during the p ing operation in a customary manner. When is posting operations are completed, the bi may en -be conveniently handled for con press and binding the sheets by placing bind. one side or cover so that one may be depressed toward the other to compress and bind the sheets. Automatic locking means are provided so that the compression obtained du ing this operation may be retained. When it is desired toagain use the binder for posting operations, the locking means is easily releas: is by piacing the binder upon opposite side or cover and then slightly depressing the uppermost portion of the back and subsequently releasing it, whereupon it will automatically expand to release the sheet body.

The binder includes a special combination and construction of parts to obtain the aioremen special locking and expanding mechanism associated in combination with other mechanism to secure the uniform movement of the back sections relative to each other in both the opening and closing movements thereof.

In the drawings:

. Fig. l is a perspective view of the binder in open position, with the binder bars and posts removed, "and the covers indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of. the device as viewed from the bottom of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4. isa fragmentary cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '5 is a perspective view oi a spring'actuating unit for forcing the'binder posts to open position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view and associated binder posts.-

of the binder bars Serial No. 471,475

(Cl. ice-13 Fig. "I is a transverse section through the structure depicted in Fig. 6. t.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the automatic locking means, parts thereof being broken away.

As shown in Fig. 1, the binder includes back binder members 10 and 11 telescoping into opposite sides of a central back section 12, the back members having flat portions 13 and 14, respectively, which overlap a flat portion 15 of the central back section. The fiat portion 15 5 is depressed as indicated at 16 to provide recessed panels 17, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, tor the reception of indicia bearing plates or the like, and is provided with end flanges 18 having return bent edges 19. The back memhers 1i) and 11 have side flanges 21 and 22. respectively, having inturned edges 23 and 24, the latter being aperturned to receive hinge members 25 which are secured to the flanges 2i and 22 and serve to support the cover memhere 26 indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.

End plates 27 and 28 have longitudinaledge iianges 29 overlying and secured to the portions 13 and ii and stepped end flanges 31 secured to the flanges 21 and 22. The end plates 2? 30 and 28 overlap each other and the flanges 18 of the central back section, being held in this telescoping relationship by the return bent edges 19 of the flanges 18. Fibrous cushions or scuff pads 32 have reinforcing and securing exten s5 sions 33 which fit into spaces between the flanges 31 of the end plates and the side flan es 21 and 22 at the corners of the back binder members. the pads serving to prevent the device. from scratching or otherwise marring a supporting surface.

Brackets 35 are secured to the ends of the flat portions 13 and 14, adjacent the corners of the frame, these having offset portions 36 spaced from the flat portions 13, and provided with elongated slots 38 iorslidablyreceiving pins 39 projecting from the ends of crossed links 41. The latter are pivoted together at their centers,

a screw 42 passing through them and being threaded into a boss 43 formed on a plate 44 which is secured to the central back section 12.

It will be evident that by this construction the back members 10 and 11 will be movable toward and away from each other, and that during such movement they will be constantly held in parallel relation since the pins 39 at one end oi the binder will always be spaced the same distance as those at the opposite end, even though the forces causing such movement are applied at the binder ends, thus affording little 0 likelihood of the parts binding in operation. It will also be seen that the pins 39 will abut the innercends of the slots 38 limiting the opening or movement apart of members 10 and 11, While their limit of closing or movement together will be determined by the abutment of the pins against the outer ends of the slots. The central section.12 will always be held intermediate the flanges21' and 22, being guided in parallel relationship with the members 10 and 11 by. the telescoping engagement of its flanges 13 with the end members 27 and 28.

Actuating units, shown in Fig. 5, are provided at each end of the binder to force the side members apart, each comprising a saddle. member 46, built up of superposed channel parts 47 and 48, which support guide tubes or sockets 49, that telescopically receive the hollow rods 51. The latter are closed at their outer ends by caps 52 and have coiled compression springs 53 mounted therein, the springs abutting the caps 52 and the end flanges of the channel part 48, tending to force the capped ends of the hollow rods 51 away from the saddle 46. The actuating units are mounted, as shownin Fig. 1, with the edges of the flanges of the channel parts 47 and 4% in abutment with the central back sec-- tion 12; being secured as shown in Fig. i to an internally threaded boss 55 provided with a plate 56 whichis united with the part 15, the boss extending through an aperture in the saddle-lfi -and having a cross-bar 57 secured against its outer surface by a countersunk screw 58.-

v This cross-bar extends from end to end of the a They each comprise a pair of v end. 21- looking bar is Y ment with the back member 11.

thatthe links 41 overlie the locking members 3 bindenbeing engaged at its center with the pivot screw' 42- which passes through the links ll, and serving to retain tlie'saddle 4:6 in place and giving additional support to'the post 43 pivot screw 12. The caps on the ends of the hollow rods '51will abut the end flanges 31 thus tending to force the back members '18 and 11 apart, and, since the two springs of each unit ar e=ofthe same size, tending to retain thecentralsection 12in 'Automatic locking means, to retain the tel-" scoping back members in any desired relative positions are illustrated in Fig. 8, two of the units being mounted on the binder as shown in 1. 7 parallel. bars 61; secured together by upper and lower plates 62; through which'pass the securing rivets 63, each of the guide bars being provided with a recess 64, having an inclined edge 64, at one slidablydisposed between the bars 61, while looking balls or rolls 66-are freely retained in the recesses 64-. The bar- 65 andthe bars fil'with plates 62 are apertured at 67 and 68 respectivel to receive pins 69'- and 71 which project fromback members 13 and 14. These pins are adapted to engage inthe apertures to'retain the locking units in place, thebars 61 being flxedfor movement with'back member 10 and'the bars'65 for move- It will be noted and when in place will prevent removal of the locking members from theattaching-pins 69 and 71 Binder bars 72, as shown in Figs: 6 and 7, ca."- rying telescoping post members 3 and 7 1' in alternating relation, are mounted adjacent the flanges 21 and 22, abutting the inturned edges 23- and 24 thereof, the flanges 31 of the end members 27 and'28, and'spacingextensions or and over the posts 73 parallel relation 'to the back i members IOand-ll.

bosses '75 provided on the flanges 21 and 22. The binder bars are secured in this position by screws threaded into the bosses '75 and through the flanges 31 into and securing the scuif pad extensions 33.

In operation or use, after the parts are completely assembled, the device is placed on a table or other support and the back members spaced apart by turning the binder, so that flange 22 is uppermost, and applying slight downward pressure to that flange. This will move the members 61 and 65 together, allowing the balls 66 to fall by gravity to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 8, and will permit the springs 53 to force apart or open the binder sections. The binder may now be turned, so

that the back portions 13, 14 and 15 will lie parallel to the table, and loose leaves or index sheets may be inserted between the binder bars and '74. To close the back members, the binder is reinverted to the position of Fig. 3, with the flange 21 uppermost, causing the locking balls 66 to drop to positions engaging both the locking bars 61 and 65', and pressure is applied to the flange 21 moving the back members together and compressing the spring 53. During this movement the balls will not bind as they will be rotated out of engagem nt with the locking bars should they tend to become wedged therebetween, but upon discontinuation oi the downward movement, the s rings will start to move the back members apart thereby moving the bars 61 and 65 relative to each other and thus rotating the balls 66 into wedged or jammed position therebetween, securely locking the back members. During this operation the body of sheets on the telescoping posts will be compressed between the binder bars and when the balls lock the back members together they will effectively bind and retain the sheets. To unlock the binder, it must again be inverted and pressure applied to ing the locking balls and allowing them to drop by gravity out of engagement with the locking bars.

In the use of this improved binder, the sheets employed therein usually provided with openings to receive the telescoping posts having slots extending through the binding edge so that the binding edge of the sheets may be clipped over the post in a convenient. manner, while the binder is placed with its back on a table or in a suitable stand or rack which supports the covers in outwardly inclined position relative to each other. With the binder in this position in a rack, which is usually used when employing the binder in connection with machine posting systems, the sheets or cards used in' the binder and carrying accounts'may be readily removed during the posting operation, and'when this is completed, they may be easily replaced in. the binder for binding through the closing of' the back sections for compressing the sheets in the manner above described. This binding or the sheets, the opening of the binder,.is a very simple operation obtained-by the "easy manipulation of the binder and without the use of any extra tools or parts for obtaining either the locking oi the binder or' the release of the sheets by opening the binder; As a rule when the binder is placedon'its'backwith'the covers extending upwardly in a rack or the like, the binder may be easily closed to bind the sheets by grasping the upper free ends of the covers and lifting the entirebinder out of the'rack and flange 22, free-' placing it on one cover in such position that when weight is placed on one back member to compress it toward the other back member, the balls will move into locking engagement the bars 61 and 65 when the sheets are in compressed position between the binder bars.

Then, when it is desired to open the binder, the simple manipulation of the binder to turn it over from one cover onto the other cover, followed by giving one back section a slight downward pressure toward the other when the binder is lying on a table or the like, the balls will be released and the springs will then move the back sections apart to release the sheet body so that the binder may be then picked up and placed upon its back in a rack for the removal or posting of the sheets.

The cross levers or bars 41, which secure parallel movement of the back members relative to each other in a most uniform manner, and also serve to retain the locking bars 61 and 65 in position, together with the spring plunger units at opposite ends of the back members, all cooperate to provide a self-contained mechanism for automatically locking and unlocking the binder and moving the parts to open or unlocked position when the binder is unlocked which do not require the use of any separate parts, keys, or tools to secure the operation of the binder. These parts furthermore operate to secure a free and uniform opening and closing movement of the binder sections in binding and releasing the sheets.

What is claimed is:

1. In a binder, a central back section, a pair of back members telescoping into said central back section, brackets having elongated slots secured to said back members, crossed links having pins engaged in said slots, said links being pivoted at their centers to said central back section, automatic locking members having relatively movable parts removably engaged with said back members under said links, said links cooperating to retain said locking members in assembled relation with the back members, and means for normally moving said back members apart.

2. In a binder, a pair of relatively movable back members having pins extending therefrom, locking units mounted on said back members, each of said units having a part engaging a pin on one back member and apart relatively movable with said first part engaging a pin on the between other of said back members, and crossed link; pivoted at their centers and connected to said back members at the ends thereof for movement relative thereto and longitudinally thereof, said crossed links overlying said locking units to preventtheir displacement from said pins during operation of the binder.

3. In a binder, a pair of relatively movable back members, a pair of crossed links pivoted together at the centers thereof and connected to said back members for longitudinal movement relative thereto, a locking bar secured to one of said back members, a guide bar secured to the other one of said back members and adapted for sliding engagement with said locking bar upon movement of said back members, one of said bars having a notch with a sloping side formed therein, and a locking ball in said notch and adapted to simultaneously contact with said sloping side and the other of said bars, whereby said back members may be locked together by movement of said ball into engagement with the sloping side of said notch and said locking bar.

i. As an article of manufacture, an automatic locking mechanism for binders comprising a locking bar having plane sides, a pair of spaced guide bars for slidably receiving said locking bar therebetween, said guide bars having notches with sloping sides formed notches-adapted to simultaneously engage said sloping sides and the plane sides of said locking bar, and plates secured to and connecting said guide bars to retain said balls in said notches,

said connected guide bars and plates having spaced apertures therethrough to receive mounting pins.

5 In a binder, a pair of relatively movable back members, a plurality of links associated with said back members for maintaining them in parallel relation, and an automatic locking unit disposed between said back members and said links, said locking unit comprising a locking bar connected to one of said back members and a pair of guide bars slidably receiving said locking bar and connected to the other one of said back members, at least one of said bars having a notch with a sloping side formed thereon, and a locking ball disposed in said notch and adapted to engage between said sloping side and the bar adjacent to said notch for locking back members together.

LE ROI E. HUTCI-IINGS.

said 

